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26 July 2014

Last critical test done prior to A350 certification. Braking at high speed and high weight.

Airbus has carried out last 19/July the maximum-energy rejected take-off with its MSN1 prototype at the Istres base, final major test prior to certification of the A350-900.

While the A350 had already conducted rejected take-off tests (‘High Energy Rejected Take-Off’ HERTO) some months ago with MSN3, the maximum-energy event is intended to examine the extreme case of a rejection at high speed and high weight with braking capability at its limits.

Airbus says the brakes reach a temperature of around 1.400 ºC as a result of the energy absorbed in stopping the aircraft.

Under the certification criteria the aircraft must remain standing for 5 min before firefighters can cool the brakes.

Videocapture

Airbus says the test was "successfully performed" and the test team received full support from the “DGA (Délégation Générale pour l’Armement) – Essais en vols”, which played a key role in facilitating the test. The maximum-energy test (MERTO) is left until last because of the risk of damage to the aircraft.